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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — a partner
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com